What Christmas means to me: Hope

"She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1: 18 – 25 ) 

I went past the local Baptist Church. There was a wooden Cross outside. In the middle of the Cross was a Christmas decoration. A big red and gold bow. I thought to myself, ";even the Christian Church misses the whole point and they’ve wrapped up God as some Christmas present!"; Then, God said: ";There you go again, John!" "You're the one that missed the point, why not call attention to my Cross?";

How did we get from Christmas to the Cross? Jesus, God, (in the flesh), was born of a woman and placed in a manager. This was His launching pad for His work on planet Earth. He began his ministry at age 30, spending the years before that as any human would--working, eating, sleeping and being a good citizen. In three short years, Jesus would change the world--once and for all, He’d give mankind the opportunity to alter his destiny and eternal destination.

Jesus would end his earthly life "hung on a tree."; He died, was put in a sealed tomb and rose from that grave, ascending in to heaven. Jesus conquered death so that each man, woman and child might have life.

The Cross is the culmination the Lord's birth. It is the place where He died in our place, paying the price for our sins. That's worth celebrating.

Why is it that so many find this so hard to believe, even with ALL of the proof that all of this did happen?  

The single reason. No Faith. The Bible says, "Without FAITH, it is impossible to please God."; It is also impossible to understand the Cross and the things of God. 

If you doubt, I challenge you to ask God: ";God, please give me your Faith."I am not talking about "I-can-do-it-faith" but rather, the power to believe and put your trust in God --you must sincerely desire what you ask for. You will not be disappointed.

If you are a believer, I challenge you to talk about Jesus to someone who doesn't know the Lord and share with them, the real reason for the season